Implant dentures are the best way to ensure you restore the full function of your teeth when you replace them with dentures. But should your implant dentures be affixed to your dental implants or should they be removable from the implants.
This is a difficult question, but it’s an important one to ensure you get the best results. Here are some factors to consider when looking at this decision.
Are Connectors Secure?
In order to be removable, implant dentures have to fit over connectors that can be detached by you. In the past, these might not have been secure enough to give the full benefit of implant dentures. However, recent innovations allow for implant dentures that are easily removable, but also very secure on the implants when connected.
How Good Are You at Brushing and Flossing?
Implant dentures that are permanently connected to your implants or are removable only by your dentist (known as hybrid dentures) need more careful maintenance in the mouth. They only require brushing and flossing like natural teeth, but the actual acts of oral hygiene may be more challenging. That’s because getting under and around the implant dentures and cleaning out around the implants can be hard when the dentures are in. Depending on how well your gums and bones respond to the implants, you may develop various food traps under the dentures that can be hard to clean.
For people with good manual dexterity, this isn’t a major challenge, and not really harder overall than brushing and flossing regular teeth. But if your manual dexterity is not as good as it used to be, you might need something easier. Removable implant dentures can be cared for simply by taking them out and cleaning off the dentures and the implants separately.
How Is Your Oral Health?
Because implant dentures require more careful maintenance, they might be more likely to contribute to oral health problems like gum disease (called peri-implantitis when it’s around implants). If your current oral health is poor or your long-term oral health has been poor, we might recommend removable implant dentures.
That way you can be sure to do proper maintenance, which will help keep your gums healthy and help your implants last a lifetime.
Can I Switch?
What if you decided on one option, then decide you want to switch to the other one? The good news is that you can switch. The dental implants will be fully compatible with either type of connection.
However, the denture won’t always be adaptable. In some cases, switching types may require the manufacture of new dentures.
Let Us Help You Find the Best Dentures
The only way to really know which type of denture is best for you is to consult with a denture dentist in person. We can do personalized assessments of your oral health, manual dexterity, and other factors. We can show you examples of different types of connectors and share the experiences of our many satisfied patients. That way, you get the best dentures for you.
To schedule a consultation with a Columbia, SC denture dentist, please call Smile Columbia Dentistry at (803) 781-9090 today!
